October 4th, 2015 
AstroNerdBoy ハヤテのごとく！/Hayate no Gotoku Manga
Hayate the Combat Butler Chapter 507 Review
SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:
Hayate asks Sakuya the true reason why she has joined this trip. Sakuya acknowledges she has another reason other than being bored, then she asks Hayate if he would continue to be Nagi’s butler if he wins the ¥150 million prize. He doesn’t know, and though he’s enjoyed the past nine months, he feels something is off between him and Nagi. Sakuya hears this and states her belief that Hayate does care for Nagi, which he agrees with.
Sakuya tells Hayate that Mikado is going to hand out the Sanzenin inheritance and that HATSUSHIBA Hisui will get involved since she want the inheritance very badly. If Hisui wins, Nagi will be truly broke, but if Nagi wins, she’ll be able to continue her life and Hayate can continue enjoying the fun days, providing Hayate remains her butler.
Elsewhere, Hina and Izumi are chatting about how there are only six contestants left. When asked what Hina will do with the money if she wins, she says she’ll donate it to someone in need. Hina asks Izumi what she’d do with the money, so Izumi says she’ll give it to Hayate. Hina says that if Hayate gets to pay off his debt, he’ll stop being a butler and even leave Hakuou. Izumi doesn’t think that will happen since she believes Hayate will never leave Nagi alone, thus he won’t stop being her butler. Hina realizes that what Izumi says is true and is depressed, wondering what the point of winning would be.
Meanwhile, Kananiwa looks at pictures of the six surviving contestants (Kayura, Katsura, Hina, Hayate, Nagi, and Izumi) and wonders if one of them can produce the explosion of negative emotion to open the path. Hayate enters, having heard this, and having made his presence known, he asks her if they can begin the final orientation now.
Thoughts/Review:
I’ve been thinking of late that Hata-sensei might be growing weary of Hayate the Combat Butler because he’s done a few plot dumps lately. This chapter continues that feeling with the characters talking of how they feel things are about to come to an end. (Plus, Hata-sensei is working on his new, weekly manga series.) We’ll see if things move at a much faster pace, or if Hata-sensei is just saying, “OK, we are winding down now.”
I like the fact that Hata-sensei is acknowledging that there’s no romantic spark between Nagi and Hayate. Hayate has cared about Nagi ever since he was saved by her, but from early on, he’s always shown no interest in her. Although I feel certain that Hata-sensei wanted Hayate and Nagi to be the pairing at the end of the manga, the story went into a direction where this cannot be done in a believable fashion.
I recently started rereading the volumes from the ultra slow Viz (*_*) and I was reminded that during the first attempt by someone (Gilbert) to get the inheritance, the goal was to make Nagi cry and apologize. While this doesn’t come off as an explosion of negative emotion, I do think this was Hata-sensei’s intent back then. As such, when it comes to this current competition, I can see Nagi winning the school trip, with Ruri assisting. I can see the explosion of negative energy coming from Nagi giving up Hayate, not only as her butler, but as her future husband. We’ll see though.
Although I am growing doubtful this will happen, I’m really hoping Hata-sensei takes the time to introduce Nagi’s father into the manga story. I think it would be a nice touch if somehow, Nagi is able to commune with both her father and mother again.
As to Hayate, if Nagi sets him free, I do hope he ends up with Athena. That’s nothing against any of the other girls, but ever since Athena was introduced, then shown again as an adult, it has been the only really good pairing for Hayate.
That being said, I would feel badly for Hina and Ayumu, and even Nagi as well, should Hayate end up with Athena.
Well, we’ll see what happens. In the meantime, this was an interesting chapter, especially since Hisui is being brought back into the mix.
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Well, here’s where we disagree. (with due respect as always)
Regarding Hayate and Nagi: I feel the opposite really. By acknowledging the fundamental problem in their relationship, this manga is now required to directly address it — but it also has to be done in a way that doesn’t break Nagi.
Sorry, but I don’t see Nagi “growing out of love” for Hayate and as much as you believe that a Hayate x Nagi romantic pairing feels unbelievable with the direction that the story is taking, I personally feel it’s more implausible for Nagi to go the “I’m so mature now and I’m letting you go” route — especially since it would result in a lopsided ending/development for the co-main characters. A super-happy ending for Hayate with his chosen “one true love” (debatable as to who this might be, as always) and a bittersweet ending for Nagi (not debatable if we go this route). I wouldn’t be against it if this were Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien or some other kind of heavy drama, but this is just not HTCB’s genre.
Hayate falling/having already fallen for Nagi isn’t an unacceptable development based on this chapter, I would say. Besides, there are quotation marks around “love” there.
Personally, I think this chapter simply serves to rule out the cop-out endings:
1. No more “I’ll be her butler forever” with no romantic ties ending.
2. No more unspecified end-girl/harem ending.
Rationale:
1. Hayate’s made it crystal clear for some time now that he desires a romantic relationship.
2. Hina and Izumi’s conversation serves to affirm that Hayate will not leave Nagi alone but that the debt must be cleared.
3. People never take Nagi’s feelings into account, do they?
Ah, I never stated this. Right now, Nagi’s feelings for Hayate are unrequited, just as Hina’s are and Ayumu’s are. Of the three, Nagi shows the least romantic interest in Hayate. She doesn’t want to lose Hayate for sure.
I was thinking just the opposite. For the most part, harem titles don’t like to specify a winner unless the winner was picked from the start of the manga (ie: Ai Yori Aoshi or even Love Hina).
True, and he would have attempted to pick things up with Athena again had he not had the debt to Nagi.
Hayate feels a great debt to Nagi for literally saving his life. While he doesn’t know the details, he knows that her previous butler left her. Maria said that Himegami’s departure (under whatever circumstance) hit Nagi hard and Hayate’s arrival lifted her up again. So I suspect this too plays a part in Hayate not wanting to leave Nagi alone.
Nagi’s feelings are hard to judge. I’d say she has somewhat of an abandonment complex. Her father died when she was very young and her mother died when she was still in grade school. Her butler left her and she attempts to keep folks at arm’s length. However, over the course of time, Nagi has matured. She may still need Maria to sleep with her, but she’s more tolerant of others being around and opening up to them.
Well, we’ll see where Hata-sensei takes us. I’m afraid that after years of lollygagging, he’s now going to move at light speed and rush us to an ending that won’t be very satisfying for anyone.
The other points are your opinion, but I have to disagree with Nagi having the least romantic interest in Hayate. I’d say Nagi’s feelings of love for Hayate are the strongest out of those you’ve mentioned based on her actions so far. Everything she’s done throughout the manga’s big arcs have been for Hayate.
Also… most harem titles don’t like to end that way, indeed, but Hata’s planted some clear foreshadowing events here that he’s not going for the safe route. That’s exactly how I saw this chapter.
Both Nagi’s and Hayate’s feelings are hard to judge. Both suffer from insecurity issues and Hayate himself can’t be taken literally for every word that he utters — the manga has proven this time and again.
To expound a bit, I’d put Nagi’s actions in favor of Hayate along the same vein as Athena’s sacrifices for Hayate — actions driven by earnest feelings of love.
On the other hand, Ayumu and the other girls who have a crush on him have been thus far doing it for the sole purpose of advancing a romantic relationship with him — actions of puppy love/a schoolgirl crush. (I’m going to take my leave now since I’ve probably attracted the ire of some camps with this statement.)
Nah, I think you are good with your comments. 😀
I don’t deny Nagi’s feelings for Hayate. However, in terms of romance, she doesn’t come off the same way Hina or Ayumu do when it comes to romantic feelings for Hayate. That’s how I see it, at least.
Nagi has always viewed Hayate in a romantic light… it’s just that he’s never once thought of her the same way — he’s never once considered her as a viable romantic partner unlike Hina and Ayumu. On the other hand, that’s not entirely a bad thing for Nagi, I’d say… how many other girls does he treat the same way as her? … but we’ll see.
Anyway, what I really wanted to say is that Ayumu and Hina’s own “romantic attacks” on Hayate were probably influenced by Ruka. On Nagi’s part, I don’t think she’s totally gotten over chapter 413 (seeing Hayate hug Ruka from behind while declaring that he’d make her happy) just yet.
I’d forgotten about that, though I don’t seem to remember anything really coming of that.
You know that old saying about how a picture is worth a thousand words… (^_~)
More seriously, I don’t see this stopping her. For another character, it might… but to me Hina seems like the type whose determination grows stronger in the face of adversity.
On a separate train of thought, Izumi continues to make me wonder how she ever got teamed with Miki and Risa. She may be overly gullible and clueless sometimes, but she’s a sweetheart and is again evidently wiser than she’s been given credit for.
It does seem very possible. For now, though, I’ll stay uncharacteristically optimistic that Hata-sensei won’t pull an Akamatsu-sensei on us.
And if that ends up being the case, that will make things interesting.
Heh. That would be a fun story to explore. The only one we know is how Miki and Hina met and became friends as kids.
😆 I’m with you there. 😀